Weight loss

The chances are that if you’re reading this, you’ve tried to lose weight before. You might be one of the many people for whom it was not a happy, easy experience… and even worse, the effects didn’t last.

I don’t have a magic cure… but I can promise that YOU already do and we’ll work together to unleash it. Your body is AMAZING and is striving to look after you.  If you give it what it needs and take away what’s harming it,  it will become healthier.  A healthy body runs like a well-oiled machine and weight loss is part of that. 

There is no one ‘correct’ diet. We’ll know when we’ve found something that works for you because you’ll not only lose weight but feel better, too. And feeling better means you’re healthier.  We’ll have created a virtuous cycle which means

• you’ll find it easier to maintain your healthier way of eating because you won’t feel deprived and you’ll enjoy it (honestly!)
• other symptoms of ill health will improve (more on this below in the metabolic health section)
• you’ll have more energy and might want to exercise more, which in turn is fantastically good for improving many, many aspects of health
• you’ll probably sleep better
• you’re likely to be less stressed.

All these things plait together to improve many aspects of your life. Which is why you’re reading this page!

You can find out about my forthcoming weight loss courses here.

How does it work?

We’ll explore your current eating patterns, portion sizes, food preferences and when you eat. You might fill in a food diary.  We’ll explore what has worked in the past and what hasn’t. We might look at your sleeping patterns, stress levels and physical activity.

You can see that so far we’re talking in the language of ‘explore’, ‘might’ and ‘preferences’ because there are no hard and fast rules and everyone is different. However, when it comes to how we might make changes to what you eat, some things are more certain because despite all the noise and confusion around diet and nutrition, there are some things all medics and researchers agree on:

• cut out sugar and refined starches (which digest into sugar quickly)
• avoid processed, convenience foods
• eat ‘real’ food: whole foods, unrefined foods, cooked from scratch as often as possible
• eat a more varied diet including a range of colourful vegetables, cut right down on high-sugar tropical fruits (bananas, mangoes, grapes, raisins)
• avoid snacking
• avoid alcohol
• prioritise sleep, get active, get outside as much as possible and be sociable.

I’d call this a ‘real food’ way of eating. You’ll eat delicious, satisfying food whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan or omnivore.  No pills or special super foods. Just real food.

What have you got to lose? (Apart from the weight, obviously!)

Improving metabolic health

A better diet contributes to weight loss by improving metabolic health.  Metabolic health is also impacted by physical activity levels, sleep quality, stress levels, access to fresh air and green, natural spaces and sociability.

Markers of metabolic health are measures like blood pressure, blood sugar levels, blood lipid (fat) levels, liver function, body composition (ie how much fat and lean muscle you have), fat distribution (have you fat around your middle?) and, if you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, HbA1c (how sugary your body has been over the last three months).  Your GP and other healthcare practitioners will be able to measure and advise on these markers. 

By working on diet, exercise, sleep, stress, getting outside and being sociable (yes, there is good evidence to support all this, however unusual it might sound!) markers of metabolic health can be improved.  Mental health goes hand in hand with physical health  so improved metabolic health can help get rid of ‘brain fog’, improve mood and symptoms of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Health coaching can support you in improving your metabolic health. And the wonderful thing is that the measures are all interlinked so improvements in one area, say exercise or sleep, will help other areas, for example stress levels. Which might reduce unhelpful eating habits, which will reduce weight. And so on.

I know you know all this. My job is to help you find a way to put it into action and make the changes sustainable and permanent.

I’d love to help you find the healthy you! Do, please get in touch to see if I can help. A free 30-minute call is the easy first step – get in touch and we’ll sort it out.